By 2-1 vote, deputies to join union

The effort failed in 2008 when 63 percent declined

Published: Friday, September 3, 2010 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 3, 2010 at 8:39 a.m.

Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean's appeals for unity and patience in a dismal economy have proven ineffective, as his patrol deputies have overwhelmingly decided to unionize.

Deputies voted by a 2-1 margin to organize during a two-day election that concluded Wednesday night.

According to sheriff's officials, 136 deputies - or 66 percent of those involved in the balloting - opted to join the Fraternal Order of Police, or FOP. Another four deputies cast ballots for the Police Benevolent Association.

Just 65 deputies voted to reject unionization.

The results were an utter reversal of the last attempt by Marion deputies to organize in 2008. Back then, the bid was thwarted when 132 deputies - or 63 percent of the 208 who voted - declined union representation.

"A lot of people are happy to see us come in," said Todd Tucker, president of FOP Lodge 145.

With the vote, Lodge 145 will now represent 253 deputies below the rank of sergeant, including patrol deputies, detectives and court bailiffs.

Tucker said the next step would be to form a committee to represent the deputies in contract negotiations with Dean. It was unclear how long that might take, Tucker added.

Also unknown: whether the election and subsequent contract talks would affect the agency's 2011 budget, which is slated to be approved by the County Commission later this month before taking effect on Oct. 1.

The sheriff was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Dan Kuhn, one of Dean's chiefs of staff, said in a prepared statement: "Regardless of the outcome of the union vote, the Marion County Sheriff's Office is comprised of dedicated professionals and remains committed to serving our citizens and protecting the quality of life here in Marion County.

"Today, as it was yesterday before the vote, we will continue to care about all of our employees and keep their best interests at heart."

That 2008 outcome was likely influenced by some pre-election concessions Dean made.

Those included granting everyone except senior staff a $525 raise, buying back some of the compensatory time deputies claimed, and dropping a plan for a $1,200 annual surcharge for take-home patrol cars.

This time, however, Dean's attempts to address concerns ahead of a union vote apparently were not enough.

Pro-union unrest at the Sheriff's Office began bubbling up earlier this year, and as might be expected, its genesis was related to pay.

It surfaced after Star-Banner reports recounted how in 2009 hundreds of unionized county firefighters had received generous pay raises - generally running 6 percent to 7 percent - at a time when 90 percent of county workers, including those on Dean's staff, were told by elected leaders there would be no salary increases because of the sour economy.

Dean immediately commissioned a salary review by an outside consultant to see how his force stacked up against county firefighters.

The study revealed that county firefighters on average made almost $7,000 a year more than deputies, and that 80 firefighters were paid more than the highest-paid patrol deputy.

Dean subsequently offered his employees an extra week of vacation in lieu of a raise.

His senior staff also developed a plan to set aside $720,000 to pay for a new step-pay program that would closer align the salaries of his deputies with county firefighters.

The FOP's Tucker said Thursday that the election outcome expressed some deputies' frustration with pay.

While Dean told the County Commission in July that he could absorb the cost of the initiative - and has proposed cutting programs totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars - spikes in other areas have led Dean to seek an increase in the property tax rate for the special tax district that funds the Sheriff's Office's operations. That amount, if approved by the County Commission, will rise from $2.33 per $1,000 of taxable value to $2.81.

<p>Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean's appeals for unity and patience in a dismal economy have proven ineffective, as his patrol deputies have overwhelmingly decided to unionize.</p><p>Deputies voted by a 2-1 margin to organize during a two-day election that concluded Wednesday night.</p><p>According to sheriff's officials, 136 deputies - or 66 percent of those involved in the balloting - opted to join the Fraternal Order of Police, or FOP. Another four deputies cast ballots for the Police Benevolent Association.</p><p>Just 65 deputies voted to reject unionization.</p><hr /><center><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ocalacom/127215563985799" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/widgets/Ocala/Teezers/OSFacebookTeaserSmall.jpg" /><br />
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<hr /><p>The results were an utter reversal of the last attempt by Marion deputies to organize in 2008. Back then, the bid was thwarted when 132 deputies - or 63 percent of the 208 who voted - declined union representation.</p><p>"A lot of people are happy to see us come in," said Todd Tucker, president of FOP Lodge 145.</p><p>With the vote, Lodge 145 will now represent 253 deputies below the rank of sergeant, including patrol deputies, detectives and court bailiffs.</p><p>Tucker said the next step would be to form a committee to represent the deputies in contract negotiations with Dean. It was unclear how long that might take, Tucker added.</p><p>Also unknown: whether the election and subsequent contract talks would affect the agency's 2011 budget, which is slated to be approved by the County Commission later this month before taking effect on Oct. 1.</p><p>The sheriff was on vacation and unavailable for comment.</p><p>Dan Kuhn, one of Dean's chiefs of staff, said in a prepared statement: "Regardless of the outcome of the union vote, the Marion County Sheriff's Office is comprised of dedicated professionals and remains committed to serving our citizens and protecting the quality of life here in Marion County.</p><p>"Today, as it was yesterday before the vote, we will continue to care about all of our employees and keep their best interests at heart."</p><p>That 2008 outcome was likely influenced by some pre-election concessions Dean made.</p><p>Those included granting everyone except senior staff a $525 raise, buying back some of the compensatory time deputies claimed, and dropping a plan for a $1,200 annual surcharge for take-home patrol cars.</p><p>This time, however, Dean's attempts to address concerns ahead of a union vote apparently were not enough.</p><p>Pro-union unrest at the Sheriff's Office began bubbling up earlier this year, and as might be expected, its genesis was related to pay.</p><p>It surfaced after Star-Banner reports recounted how in 2009 hundreds of unionized county firefighters had received generous pay raises - generally running 6 percent to 7 percent - at a time when 90 percent of county workers, including those on Dean's staff, were told by elected leaders there would be no salary increases because of the sour economy.</p><p>Dean immediately commissioned a salary review by an outside consultant to see how his force stacked up against county firefighters.</p><p>The study revealed that county firefighters on average made almost $7,000 a year more than deputies, and that 80 firefighters were paid more than the highest-paid patrol deputy.</p><p>Dean subsequently offered his employees an extra week of vacation in lieu of a raise.</p><p>His senior staff also developed a plan to set aside $720,000 to pay for a new step-pay program that would closer align the salaries of his deputies with county firefighters.</p><p>The FOP's Tucker said Thursday that the election outcome expressed some deputies' frustration with pay.</p><p>While Dean told the County Commission in July that he could absorb the cost of the initiative - and has proposed cutting programs totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars - spikes in other areas have led Dean to seek an increase in the property tax rate for the special tax district that funds the Sheriff's Office's operations. That amount, if approved by the County Commission, will rise from $2.33 per $1,000 of taxable value to $2.81.</p>